between the republican new jersey governor chris christie and a former white house doctor, triggered by a cnn report we first brought you right here in "the situation room." the big question, can you be fat and healthy? here's cnn's senior medical correspondent, elizabeth cohen. >> reporter: it all started when new jersey governor chris christie made light of his much talked about weight problem. >> i've made jokes about you, not just one or two, not just ongoing, here and there, intermittent, but -- >> reporter: but in a widely publicized cnn interview, a former white house doctor says she's worried christie could die in office. >> i worry that he may have a heart attack, he may have a stroke. it's almost like a time bomb waiting to happen, unless he addresses those issues. >> reporter: but christie fired back, calling her a hack. he says he's healthy, despite his weight. >> my cholesterol is normal, believe it or not. >> that's pretty good. >> yeah. >> what about your blood sugar? >> blood sugar, also normal. >> also normal. >> yeah. i'm like, basically, the healthiest fat guy you'